This is just a question, not a complaint. My new Roamio Plus is set to use the MoCA network that is in my home thanks to my Verizon FiOS router (or is it the FiOS Optical Network Terminal that embeds MoCA?) My old TiVo Premiere networks via a TiVo 802.11n adapter hooked to its Ethernet port. I purchased a MoCA adapter for the Premiere under the assumption that I needed it to facilitate streaming between the Premiere and the Roamio Plus. However, I have not yet hooked the MoCA adapter to the Premiere. After I set up the Roamio Plus I tried streaming HD recordings in both directions between the Premiere and the Roamio Plus, and it worked fine. I did not expect that the two DVRs would even "see" each other, much less stream video from one to the other, given that they are set to use two different kinds of networking. Can anyone explain the fact that my Premiere does not seem to need a MoCA connection to stream to/from a Roamio Plus that networks via MoCA? Thanks.

As Tico said, they're all on the same network. Just as "normal" routers support wireless and ethernet, the Fios router just happens to support a third option (moca) as well.

As for being able to stream wirelessly, you're lucky. It's an "at your own risk" proposition. Lots (most?) people's networks aren't robust enough to support full tivo-to-tivo streaming. Tivo only says it should be a wired connection because they can't provide customer service support for the bajillion wireless routers out there. But if wireless works for you, then great.

I guess what you're both saying is that the router (mine is an Actiontec installed by Verizon a couple of years ago) supports MoCA and combines all the various flavors of IP-based traffic (WiFi, Ethernet, MoCA) together. Interesting. Do either of you know whether the FiOS ONT has any role in this?

You seem to imply that a different router might either not do all the beneficial merging of in-home network traffic or not manage to give me good streaming speed at all. I would note that my TV streams are seemingly wireless for part of the way and MoCA for part of the way, not wireless from source to destination ... which may speed them up or may slow them down, I'm not sure which.

I am also now using the new Roamio Plus to stream live and recorded video to the TiVo app on my iPad, and so far there are no problems there.

Later today I plan to install a new TiVo Mini at the remaining TV in my house. I will be interested to see whether it will be able to stream stuff from the Premiere that presently lacks a MoCA adapter.

My experience seems to indicate that TiVo equipment works quite well in a Verizon FiOS environment.

There is a moca WAN connection between the ONT and the router, but the router itself controls the moca LAN (all the Tivo and other toys connected by moca.)

Yeah there are any number of variables that play into wireless signal strength that make wireless Tivo streaming unreliable -- the distance from point A to point B, if there are any walls/floors in the way (and the thickness and material construction of those walls/floors), local interference from other nearby networks, etc. It's a minefield for many people. But if it works, great!

My Tivo Elite/Roamio/Mini's and Fios have worked together well here too. It's very satisfying to plug a device into coax and it "just works" with high quality TV service. Perfect combination, IMHO.

I have hooked up my MoCA adapter to my TiVo Premiere. All went well, but I was surprised to find that doing so does not let my Mini stream live TV from the Premiere ... only from the Roamio Plus. I can stream recordings from Premiere to Mini, just not live TV. A TiVo tech support guy says that's to be expected, and that only a TiVo with at least four tuners can send live TV to a Mini.

It's no big deal, since I can stream live TV from Roamio Plus to Mini just fine.

Yet it begs the question, why do I need a MoCA adapter for the Premiere at all, since I was able to stream recordings residing on the Premiere to the Roamio Plus and to the Mini using 802.11 WiFi networking at the Premiere.

The answer seems to be that which was given earlier in this thread: that I am very lucky, and that many people can't get adequate streaming performance unless all their TiVo boxes are on MoCA or Ethernet.

A network is a network. Just like an iPhone can connect to a TiVo. And everything can connect back to Ethernet as well. My network has an 802.11a/b/g/N900 router that connects to Powerline via Ethernet, that connects another couple of switches downstairs that connect to my TiVo Premiere XL4, which then lights up MoCA for the Minis. When a Mini upstairs is streaming, the cable modem and router upstairs are connected to the internet via DOCSIS, which then goes through the Powerline network downstairs, through the XL4, and back upstairs over MoCA. It's all one network. My iPhone can control a Mini through Wifi>>>Ethernet>>>Powerline>>>Ethernet>>>MoCA. And the network handles voice, video, and data traffic. I do not recommend such a hodgepodge of equipment, but I rent, and it's what I had laying around, so I used it. FIOS just happens to integrate everything into one router, MoCA WAN, MoCA LAN, Wifi, and Ethernet.

A network is a network. Just like an iPhone can connect to a TiVo. And everything can connect back to Ethernet as well. My network has an 802.11a/b/g/N900 router that connects to Powerline via Ethernet, that connects another couple of switches downstairs that connect to my TiVo Premiere XL4, which then lights up MoCA for the Minis. When a Mini upstairs is streaming, the cable modem and router upstairs are connected to the internet via DOCSIS, which then goes through the Powerline network downstairs, through the XL4, and back upstairs over MoCA. It's all one network. My iPhone can control a Mini through Wifi>>>Ethernet>>>Powerline>>>Ethernet>>>MoCA. And the network handles voice, video, and data traffic. I do not recommend such a hodgepodge of equipment, but I rent, and it's what I had laying around, so I used it. FIOS just happens to integrate everything into one router, MoCA WAN, MoCA LAN, Wifi, and Ethernet.

Interesting.

I don't know what some of those things are. First, what's MoCA WAN vs. MoCA LAN? I know the first term indicates a wide area network, the second a local area network. But MoCA, I thought, was all local, i.e., strictly inside the home. What is the MoCA WAN for, then? I gather that in my Verizon FiOS setup, the router is wired to the optical network terminal by a WAN connection, but why is the ONT involved in MoCA at all?

What is DOCSIS? If your Mini is streaming, your modem and router connect to the Internet via DOCSIS, but does that imply that at other times they connect in some other fashion?

Thanks for your original response, and I hope to hear back from you ...

I have hooked up my MoCA adapter to my TiVo Premiere. All went well, but I was surprised to find that doing so does not let my Mini stream live TV from the Premiere ... only from the Roamio Plus. I can stream recordings from Premiere to Mini, just not live TV. A TiVo tech support guy says that's to be expected, and that only a TiVo with at least four tuners can send live TV to a Mini.

Yes. The issue is not having a network connection between the two. The issue is that the 2-tuner versions of the Premiere simply do not support giving one of their tuners to the Mini. I presume, however, that you could view something on the Mini that was recording on the Premiere.

Also, from what I understand, the process of switching between a Roamio and a Mini as a "host" is not the best, so probably not something worth doing anyhow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by epstewart

Yet it begs the question, why do I need a MoCA adapter for the Premiere at all, since I was able to stream recordings residing on the Premiere to the Roamio Plus and to the Mini using 802.11 WiFi networking at the Premiere.

I think the answer is that you do not need it. It may or may not be more reliable.

Yes. The issue is not having a network connection between the two. The issue is that the 2-tuner versions of the Premiere simply do not support giving one of their tuners to the Mini. I presume, however, that you could view something on the Mini that was recording on the Premiere.

Thanks, ncfoster, for the contribution. I will try using the Mini to watch something whose recording is in progress on the Premiere, once I receive the breakout adapter I've ordered that will (I expect) let me send audio to my TV which lacks HDMI input, but can input DVI via an HDMI-to-DVI cable from the Mini.

I understand better, based on what you said, about the notion that live TV at the Mini requires that the Mini take over a tuner from a host DVR that supports that possibility. The Premiere, with just two tuners, does not support it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncfoster

Also, from what I understand, the process of switching between a Roamio and a Mini as a "host" is not the best, so probably not something worth doing anyhow.

Agreed ... in the sense that switching between two hosts for a Mini is apparently quite a clumsy process.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncfoster

I think the answer is that you do not need it. It may or may not be more reliable.

I myself do not seem to really need the MoCA adapter for my older-model DVR, but other people might not be so lucky ...